happen

/'hæpən/

Friendly

The word "happen" is a verb that means something occurs or takes place, often by chance or without intention.

Basic Meaning:

• To occur: When something happens, it means it takes place or comes into being.
• To meet by chance: It can also mean to come across something unexpectedly.

Usage Instructions:

• Structure: "Happen" is commonly used in the present, past, and future tenses (happen, happened, will happen).
• Subject-Verb Agreement: It can be used with different subjects: I happen, you happen, he/she/it happens, we happen, they happen.

Examples:

1. Occurring: "What will happen at the meeting tomorrow?"
2. Meeting by chance: "I happened upon an amazing café while walking in the city."

Advanced Usage:

• "Happen to": This phrase is used to indicate that something occurs by chance.
  • Example: "I happen to know the answer to your question."
• "Happen upon": This means to find or discover something by chance.
  • Example: "She happened upon an interesting book at the bookstore."

Word Variants:

• Happening (noun): An event or occurrence.
  • Example: "The concert was a great happening."
• Happened (past tense): The action of something occurring in the past.
  • Example: "What happened at the party last night?"

Different Meanings:

1. To come into being: "The changes will happen gradually."
2. To take place: "The event will happen next week."

Synonyms:

• Occur
• Take place
• Come about
• Arise
• Transpire

Idioms:

• "What’s happening?": A casual way to ask what is going on.
• "Happen to": Used to express a coincidence (e.g., "I just happen to have an umbrella.")

Phrasal Verbs:

• "Happen upon": To find something by chance.
  • Example: "We happened upon a lovely park while exploring the city."

Conclusion:

"Happen" is a versatile verb used to describe events or occurrences, often unexpectedly or by chance.

Academic

Verb

1. come upon, as if by accident; meet with
   • We find this idea in Plato
   • I happened upon the most wonderful bakery not very far from here
   • She chanced upon an interesting book in the bookstore the other day
2. come into being; become reality
   • Her dream really materialized
3. chance to be or do something, without intention or causation
   • I happen to have just what you need!
4. happen, occur, or be the case in the course of events or by chance
   • It happens that today is my birthday
   • These things befell (Santayana)
5. come to pass
   • What is happening?
   • The meeting took place off without an incidence
   • Nothing occurred that seemed important

Synonyms

• find
• chance
• bump
• encounter
• materialize
• materialise
• befall
• bechance
• hap
• go on
• pass off
• occur
• pass
• fall out
• come about
• take place